CURRENT RMS: HIRE MANAGEMENT ON THE MOVE - AudioTechnology

Since launching on September the 1st 2014, over 385 hire businesses in the AV, Production, Lighting and Events sector have signed up to cloud hire management software, Current RMS, quickly identifying the benefits of managing hire processes online, from any device and location.

Current RMS is making waves in Australia, so we thought we’d talk to some early adopters about their experiences.

BCC PRODUCTIONS

“Using cloud-based rental management software means customer satisfaction. Thanks to Current we can log in from literally anywhere on any device and pull up the data we need. If we are setting up at a venue and the client wants to check their order, or gain a quote for another upcoming event, we can do it there and then, no problem.

Current also manages our inventory, so we can always quote in confidence knowing that we’ve got the equipment in stock. If I get a call from a customer who need’s equipment urgently, between meetings I can log into Current straight from my phone or tablet and draft up a quote or invoice literally in minutes,” – Brad Holder, PCC Productions up in WA’s Pilbara district.

WOOHAH!

WooHah Entertainment Group is a fast growing rental company whose staff was too busy doing business to be sitting in the office punching out quotes. Which is why WooHah boss, Arosh Fernando, was initially attracted to Current RMS before making the switch at the start of the year: “We needed something more flexible. The problem was, we couldn’t always be in the office to quote – and quite often the client needs the quote asap. Current RMS is cloud based, so I can jump on my iPad — or any web browser — and send that quote in two minutes. That was the biggest the reason for the jump to Current. We shopped around, and looked at some very capable systems from the US but they were quite expensive.

“I was told by Current from the start that they’re always improving their product. And in the short time we’ve been using the system I’ve notice significant enhancements. The crewing module is a good example. The user forum allows customers like myself to make suggestions, and the most popular suggestions are acted on.”

STAGEPASS PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

Mat Goldsmith runs Stagepass Production Systems, another relative newcomer, that’s found a niche in the Melbourne and Sydney theatre/special events market, and as a consequence has a very strong Shure and Sennheiser wireless inventory.

“It wasn’t that long ago we were a part-time company running everything from Excel. But we’ve grown and our people aren’t office bound, which is why we were looking for a cloud-based solution — we wanted to present a consistent, professional image to the market regardless of whether we were on tour, in the warehouse or at home on the weekend.

“We trialled three other software packages and, many empty promises later, we stumbled on Current RMS. While it didn’t tick every box, it was a proper a cloud-based solution — it has the same user interface on a smartphone as it does on the computer or iPad. And from the client side, a quote generated on a phone or tablet looks just as professional as one generated on a PC desktop.

“There are plenty of features that I really like. I like the Discussions feature that allows us to message clients without needed to open Outlook.

“The barcoding is really important for us. We have 48 channels of wireless, so barcoding is essential for keeping track of our stock.

“The Zero integration is huge one for us. When we send out an invoice in Current it automatically appears in Zero. Then when the invoice is paid, I can now automatically see that in Current without having to manually reconcile that account with Zero. It’s seamless. That one simple connection has cut dozens of man hours out of the month.

“Current is continuously updating the software. User Voice is the forum for requests. As an example, I made a note on the forum that when I’m barcoding there’s no feedback to let me know the scan was successful. Within a week Current added a beep to confirm the scan or a broken glass sound for a bad read. The updates reflect what people are asking for and that’s the whole mentality of how Current has built the software. And even though they’re based in the UK, response time has been better than any other software we’ve dealt with.

“There are other really capable competing packages out there but Current RMS immediately felt the most modern — cloud based, with fully customisable quote layouts — the other packages’ interface all looked dated. And it’s really good value. I’d say it definitely offers the best bang for the buck.”

THE COMPLETE RENTAL CYCLE

Within one centralised system, businesses can easily manage their hire business – creating jobs from enquiries through to quotation and order stage, managing equipment availability, barcode labels, customisable documentation, scheduling activities for staff, transport and invoicing, the system effortlessly covers it all.

“By providing rental businesses with the power and flexibility that instant access to all of your data on the move presents, will in turn improve customer response rates leading to happier, long-standing customers,” said Chris Branson, CEO of Current RMS.

Its incredible modern user interface is now setting standards in the hire software market, using icons, images and colour to help illustrate important information in a simple, easy to understand way – for any level of user. Current has been designed so that hire businesses can instantly get setup and running very quickly with little to no training required.

“ Selecting Current was by far the most logical decision! It’s an all in one rental management package that caters for all our needs in one simple, yet powerful solution that doesn’t break the bank and is easy enough to setup. It’s so simple to use, we just love it!” – Brad Hurle, Diverse Audio Visual Events.

ULTIMATE CLOUD PARTNERSHIP

At the start of 2015, Current RMS officially became a partner of the popular cloud accounting software Xero, offering seamless integration with this easy to use product, streamlining the rental cycle that one step further.

“We are really excited about becoming an add-on partner for Xero. It represents everything we believe Current RMS represents, it’s modern, powerful and easy to use and already a well recognised product in the hire industry,” – said Branson.

To take a look at Current RMS, sign up for the free 30 day trial on the website or request for a free online demo today.